Don't Be Afraid of The Dark
by amwaltz.rain
Summary: After all this time, he was free. He had Emil. They'd be fine. Lukas continued mulling over this shift in fortune. He crossed the floor to their bedroom. Emil was...talking? To who? They were alone. He edged open the door and froze. What- "Hi Lukie!" Emil hollered happily from within a misty shadow. "What are you doing!" "I'm just playing with my friend Mah-fi."
1. Chapter 1

Don't be Afraid of the Dark

Chapter 1- Pride and Pain

They were health nuts, and had taken as many precautions as possible so they could live long, happy lives with their two sons, despite the circumstances. Emil wailed as the caskets were lowered into the ground. Lukas only stared, his eyes glazed but his expression remained apathetic. After the services concluded, he scooped up his brother, stone façade intact, and balanced the boy on his hip. His only sign of distress was the fist curled into his brother's shirt.

The universe was mocking him, he just knew it. It was too damn sunny for a funeral. Despite a few distant relatives protest, Lukas drove himself and Emil home. To his chagrin, those social service people were waiting for them. The faux smiles and condolences got under his skin, gnawed at his insides and made his chest ache. An agent reached out, offering to hold Emil while he packed. Poor woman didn't stand a chance.

_"You are not taking my brother from me!" _ He snarled.

Everyone shrank back, even Emil.

He clutched the child closer and lightly moved up the stairs, the air of indifference in his step, but slammed the door open and closed. He exhaled slowly, lightly setting Emil in his bed as if the boy was made of glass. Emil stared at Lukas with wide eyes. Lukie never yelled.

The boy could barely catch the _"Stay here, please."_ That his brother had whispered. A hand squeeze and a light brush of his lips to the toddler's temple later, Lukas turned away from his brother. He started with methodically selecting clothes, setting them in a duffel bag. Once full, he huffed, slamming the bag on the ground furiously and gripped at his hair. His fingers found the archaic cross that recently found use holding his bangs back. He wrenched his mother's pin free and threw the heirloom. It stuck in the drywall. He shoved his books off the shelves and kicked them across the floor. Midsearch for something else to destroy, he heard a hiccup.

Emil was curled up on the bed sobbing. He didn't sense his brother's approach until the mattress dipped and he was entrapped in the elder's embrace. Lukas' face pressed into Emil's hair, he took slow breaths. Even as he grew, Emil hadn't lost his soft baby scent. Neither had his hair lost its downy feel or nor darkened with age. His skin was still translucent and soft. The scrapes and bruises had healed quickly, leaving his flesh unmarred again.

"Big Brother?" Emil murmured. Lukas didn't answer.

"Big Brother." Again, nothing.

"_Bror?_" No response.

Lukas tugged him into his lap, and whispered _"I'm sorry."_ Emil tilted his head back to see his brother's face. Lukie's eyes were closed, his teeth were grit and his body shook and held HIS child to his chest and squeezed.

"_I'm_ _sorry_."

….

In the last weeks of school, Lukas studied for his exams. He wasn't about to lose his slot in class. Emil rushed into their shared room, and found Lukas on the often empty bed that had been meant for Emil.

"Mama and Papa said it's time for bikes." Emil said and smiled hopefully at Lukas.

"I can't today. Studying."

"Are you sure you don't want to? Sitting for too long is dangerous." Their mother added from the doorway.

"_Broooooor"_

"Emil."

"Go outside and study for goodness sake. You need to synthesize Vitamin D. And afterwards we'll go to that frozen yogurt place to celebrate." His mother smiled at the end of her decisive ruling. Emil beamed and spouted about being a big boy for graduating from a tricycle to training wheels.

Their mother pulled Lukas aside in a one armed hug and squeezed his arm. "_Happy_ _Birthday_ _my_ _Lukas_." She whispered, kissing his cheek. Lukas fought the urge to roll his eyes and squeezed back. It was a seventeenth birthday. He didn't care, he'd had seventeen, and would have decades more. He strapped Emil's helmet on the boy, despite his protests after slathering the little one in sunblock. Lukas watched the three of them ride away from their gnarled tree in the yard. He rested against a branch and reread the chapter he was working on.

Every once in a while a car would drive through the suburb. The sun cast demons that danced around the ground beneath him as it set. Too dark to read comfortably, he shut his book and listened. He could hear an obnoxious bike bell, no doubt from Emil in his exuberance. The next sound wasn't normal. Some clunky gas-guzzler sped a few streets away. He leapt from his perch and trudged towards the house.

That _chill_. The feeling in his chest was unlike anything he'd ever felt. Some moron was walking on his grave….make that dancing on it while laughing. The book landed with a thud. Lukas shook his head and stooped to retrieve the slipped tome.

Then he heard it. Impact. The screech of metal on metal on pavement.

_No_.

He didn't realize he was running until he slid off the curb and into the street. Meanwhile, the cogs began churning overtime.

_There's no way it was them. It couldn't-_

Then why didn't he hear that bell?

_He's scared, that's all. They're fine. Why am I running?_

Some people were milled around, phones in hand. The truck's cab was open, the driver shaking and mumbling. _"I didn't see'em. I didn't see'em."_ Lukas rounded the truck's passenger side. Some more people were trying to coerce something from the shrubbery. He stopped. On the sidewalk, blue and red wheels of a small bike were still spinning while on its side. A larger wheel of another bike was bent unnaturally under the truck. He stared down at the bloody shredded sneaker before him. Looking up, he met a neighbor's eyes. The man gave a quick negative and turned to gesture at the shrubs. Lukas stumbled over, panic rising, trying to remember how to breathe. The people parted like the sea from the shrub. Crouching, he pushed the branches away. "_Emil_." He breathed. The numbness spread through his chest, his mind stopped, leaving him to flounder before ordering_, "Lille Bror, come here."_ His words came out softer than his breathing. Still, Emil wriggled free of the vegetation and into Lukas's arms. His milky skin was scraped and dirty. Emil continued crying quietly, snot smeared on his face. Lukas used his shirt sleeves to mop up his brother's face.

Emil pushed his face into the crook of his brother's neck. Lukas was glad. Emil could not see the front of the truck, and Lukas did not want to see.

…

One year. A measly year kept him from custody of his brother. They'd be separated. In a year, Lukas would be an adult, he could make it work. Make something of himself and take care if Emil. A measly year.

Lukas had been twelve when Emil came into the world. It was also his first experience with a baby. He'd been uninterested in the blob of helplessness in the beginning. Until the night the blob was deemed old enough to sleep in the crib. It cried off and on in the night. Their parents had left it there after a quick peek. Apparently it needed to learn how to sleep alone. Even in the witching hour, it woke up and screeched. To say Lukas was angry was an understatement. He got out of bed and marched into the nursery. He scooped the blob up from the crib, then frantically readjusted his arms after its head lolled uncontrollably to the side. The little being struggled to keep itself righted. Then he remembered, the monster known as Emil was too small to lift his own head up very long without help. It was indeed helpless. And their parents had left it alone- _How Dare They?_

At least the crying had stopped.

Lukas sighed, settled the baby in his arms and descended the stairs. After studiously reading the label, he mixed the formula and pushed the bottle up to its mouth. The blob had to have been famished to drink so fast. Then he moved the blob so he faced over his shoulder and patted his back like he'd seen their mother do. The monster let out a loud belch and settled back into Lukas's hold.

"_Awwww_…"

Lukas turned to see their mother in the entry way, a tired smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, it was your father's turn but he wanted to see if Emil would go under himself, and-"

Lukas regarded her and her wording, "Your father" instead of dad or papa in years past, the fact she tried to continue her excuse instead of to the point as per her fashion. He gave her a nod and ascended the stairs, blob in hand and pushing the failing marriage out of his head before arriving at the nursery. He figured the blob should have a fresh diaper. The idea of sleeping in your own waste sounded awful. He did his best to replicate what he'd seen others do to change a diaper. Emil cried again when he took it off, not liking the exposure to the air and kicking his legs about in protest. Lukas quickly fastened the thing onto the infant, rebuttoned the footies and picked the blob up again. He decided against the crib and crossed the hall into his room. He set a pillow on the side of the bed, sat down and carefully moved while remaining in control of the blob's movement. Emil squirmed a little, then snuggled into Lukas's chest as he lay them down to sleep.

…

They'd never spent a night apart since then. Lukas would take the infant at night to sleep, thus becoming one another's security blanket. Emil would take naps in Lukas's arms while he studied. He'd sit cross-legged with his books before him, one arm to support the baby's head and his legs would act as a rest while the other hand turned pages. He got better at changing diapers and preparing bottles. He didn't mind his parents' world now, when they both started working just to avoid each other and leaving constantly. That just left more time for Emil and his studies, the two things his life revolved around.

…

When Lukas finally came to, Emil got off his lap and yanked the cross out of the wall and clipped it back in its proper place. Lukas muttered a curse and tumbled from the bed. He lifted Emil in one arm, leaned over the bed so the boy could grab his puffin, slung the bag over his opposite shoulder and exited the room. Before descending the stairs, he entered the "nursery", Emil's room that was used for storage and as a rec room. He pilfered their secret stash of food and filled another bag.

"Think you can reach _Mjollnir_?" Lukas asked Emil, who nodded and outstretched his arm as Lukas lowered him into a trunk and retrieve the precious instrument's case and binder full of music sheets. He shoved the binder and an armful of books into another backpack, took the violin case from Emil, set the bags on the floor before shifting the boy on his hip and prepared to take the stairs.

The ragged gaping hole in his chest ached looking at the steps. He'd lose Emil. They'd take him away because they didn't think that he'd be able to take care of him. His arms tightened, he had a moment to make the decision. When he took another breath, he found that he had made this decision years ago. There was no real qualm here. He lightly retraced his steps and retrieved his car keys from the hook. He found the rope ladder ("_only_ _for_ _emergencies_" he'd been told.) He was sure this counted as an emergency. He tossed it out the window and secured it to the edge.

He left Emil to keep watch as he descended the ladder with their luggage. He moved as quietly as possible to the car, undid the latch and filled the trunk with their belongings. He climbed back up to the window and reached for Emil. One last act. He found a belt and wrapped it around his and his brother's chests, he had to be sure that Emil would stay put. Lukas tied his wrists gently before slinging them around his neck. The boy clung like a monkey, legs wrapped around tightly and hands clutching onto shirt before glancing up at his brother, who merely nodded before ducking out the window.

Lukas hushed the whimpering child when they heard the click-clack of shoes going up the stairs. It was hard not to laugh, idiots were only just now trying to check on them.

"I've got you. I've got you." He murmured the mantra not only for the boy but for himself as well. The descent was painfully slow. Time was of the essence, at any moment they'd be apprehended, he felt like a fugitive. It was almost fun. At any moment, they'd look out a window, or worse- come outside and realize that they were being duped. But so was silence. As was safety.

After an eternity, Lukas's feet touched the ground. He wasted no time in freeing Emil and shoving him into the back seat. He closed and opened the doors as quietly as he could manage, sitting down and sticking the key in the ignition. He waited for Emil to call "_click_" before fastening his own seatbelt. He waited until a car passed behind them in the street before turning the switch and pulling off the driveway. He had no idea if they heard or when they'd notice- there was no time to think as he peeled off into the soon to be setting sun. As miles and hours blew by, the bubbling hysteria nearly consumed the teenager who'd come to a realization. Despite his work and awards- unless he turned around now, he'd have no future.

Turn back, have a future. Take the scholarships and make everyone revere the Bondevick name. Turn back. Have a life. A future.

He pulled off into an empty lot, preparing to make a U-Turn.

_EMIL_.

In his haze, he'd nearly forgotten why. Turn back, have a future. Turn back, lose Emil.

Turning back would be admitting defeat. Turning back would mean the champion violinist, the victor of countless (and to him, forgettable) academic competitions, sure to be valedictorian from the beginning of his school career, Lukas Bondevick, was nothing.

Without Emil, he was nothing. At first, Lukas was merely playing. Watching others fail while he succeeded, watching them squirm and cry while he held his head up high was fun. He was superior to all of them. That much was clear. Why did they even try?

After the competitions, the losers parents would go and not only console their children but tell them how proud they were. He didn't mind waiting, sometimes hours after the event, admiring his medals or trophies or certificates, for one of his parents to pick him up. He used to show them, up until he was ten when he accepted the truth. His father would nod and on the rare occasion grumble a "good job" or quickly shoot a smile without pausing to look at his shiny things. His mother would lightly praise him, and had bought the shelves that his awards sat on. There were, however, no real hugs and kisses for his work. No special trips or promises of new things. Just the fake smiles from the shells of the people who had given him life. There was no point except to cause misery. He was unhappy, why should others be happy when he was so much better than them? Why did they even bother when that was so clear?

Pride, he'd discovered. It was pride and the realization that it mattered. His actions mattered. He mattered. He was needed. After Emil's birth, and that first night he'd comforted his then blob brother, it mattered. Emil needed his big brother to take care of and teach him. That was a fact. And Lukas needed his _lille_ _bror_ , more than he'd ever thought possible.

He parked in the lot, double checked that his doors were locked, pulled his bat from baseball season out from under the seat and crawled into the back. He unfastened his sleeping brother and pulled him up to lay out on his chest. One hand on his brother's back, the other clutching the bat he stared at the sky through the windows, looking for stars. Finding none, he settled for staring off into the dark.

…..

Author's Notes

This is my first post. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

I am certainly a sick person for doing this. The bike accident came from Icelanders getting run over by Danes on bikes in Denmark (the bike roads look like sidewalks). I read something about that and thought it was hilarious… so I figured out how to traumatize Iceland into hating bikes sans Danes. Mjollnir is the name of Thor's hammer and Lukas's violin. Babies have baby smell. Smell a baby if you don't understand, just don't be creepy when you do it.

Notice! When Lukas brings Emil to his bed, you're not supposed to do that. You're not supposed to sleep with a baby on/next to you. So many stories of baby's being crushed and/or suffocated in their sleep. Though I'd bring my baby brother to sleep with me all the time and we were fine, though I am a light sleeper and would wake up when my monster would move. But don't do it.

Now onto the Slenderman. There will definitely be SlenderDenmark as well as mentions of other slenders/shades/whatever you want to call them. This stemmed from slenderman is dark and scary but may actually be friendly with kids and not a murderous creature. Maybe he just wants a hug. I'm taking this in a different direction from what I've seen in the slendernation fics I've perused through, as well as a different origin. The first person I thought of after that was Sweden. *shots fired* Mr. scary who is actually nice and good with kids but really tall and quiet. The Sufin one will come after this one, even though I thought of that one first.

Any help at all would once again be really appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Friends. Imaginary or Otherwise.

Lukas wasn't sure of when he'd drifted to sleep, but was woken up with Emil poking him with his chubby little fingers in the face.

"Lazy Town!" Emil ordered.

Lukas groaned and tried explaining that there would be no television for a while. Emil pouted and whined "Luuuukiiiiiee~"

"Big brother. " Lukas corrected before buckling the toddler in before climbing into the driver's seat and putting the bat back.

"You're crazy. " Emil taunted.

"I know, Emil. I know."

...

After a few days of driving and exhausting most of their food and draining Lukas's wallet, they came into a new city. He decided to take a break and take Emil through the park, after finding a bathroom. He wondered why Emil had yet to voice the problem, internally pleading that Emil wait to relieve himself while he parked.

"Uhhhh-oh...Luuukiie~"

Damn. So close.

...

Turns out, Emil didn't wet himself. He was staring off at the man who dropped his cane. Lukas lugged the boy quickly in a bee-line towards the bathroom, stooping to pick up the cane and hand it back to the man and continuing on his way.

"Thank ya!" The man hollered.

Lukas didn't turn around.

...

Hoisting Emil up, he lathered the little one's hands with soap. Lukas hated this on the run crap already. He missed his religious bathing schedule- shower in the morning and a bath before bed, though the later was more for his family's benefit. Emil would refuse to bathe without Lukas present. Their clothes felt stale, though it was doubtful Emil noticed; much less cared.

Upon exiting, Emil gave a squawk and flapped his arms.

"Yes, yes- little puffin, we're going. "

He thrashed more, demanding to be put down. Emil dashed off towards a small grove of trees. After a few moments, he didn't comeback. Lukas spat a curse and peeled off after the boy, who was probably still flapping his arms and squawking.

He tore through desperate to find the boy. Lukas crept up behind his brother, after hearing him croon had begun babbling.

"...and I have a brother named Lukie, and he's cool. And Daddy would-" he heard Emil give a choked sob.

"Oh! Thank you!" He laughed now, "You give nice hugs. And fun to play games with. I like you playing games for me. What's you name?"

"Emil?" Lukas called uncertainly.

Then he called sternly, letting the severity of the situation sink in. _Why did he leave the bats in the car?!_

"Emil! Where are you?"

He finally saw the boy staring off at a tree in the shade. Lukas seized the toddler and looked him over. Emil didn't seem hurt, only surprised at Lukas.

"Who were you talking to? What happened? Why did you run away?"

"I saw my friend." Emil explained.

"Your friend?! Emil- there's no one here but us-"

"He left when you grabbed me. 'You scare him? Don't scare him!"

Lukas started, about to rebuke the boy for the scare before realizing.

_Imaginary_ _Friends_.

Traumatic experience, he wants a friend.

"Okay," he said, playing along, "so what's this friend's name?"

"Mah-fi-us" the younger enunciated .

"Okay. Say goodbye. We have to go figure out something for breakfast."

"Bye Mah-fi! See you soon!" Emil called over Lukas's shoulder, waving at the shadows.

Returning from the grove, Lukas was again startled. The man from earlier was calling after him, waving his arm and approaching.

"Hey there!...oh...sorry! Didn't mean'ta make ya jump kid." The man managed between laughs.

Lukas tried to recover from the shock and get away without looking like a bigger fool.

"So! I wanted to thank ya for helping me out earlier. My ol' leg was causin' trouble." He said.

"You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse us-" Lukas tried, backing away to escape. No more strangers, imaginary or otherwise. And this guy definitely was an otherwise.

"Wait a sec' dude!"

_Dude? What old man uses dude?_

Lukas hadn't seen the old man's face earlier. The man wasn't as old as he thought. Mid- forties he assumed. Nor was he dirty. So he didn't think he was a hobo. Creepy. But not like the seemingly deranged man who'd been running around the last town they stopped in and caused Lukas to cave in and get a hotel room.

"Th'name's Anders. Anders Kohler. Who are you guys?"

"Emil! I am Emil!" The little bird cawed.

Lukas fought the need to face palm while reminding himself to teach Emil stranger danger.

"Hey there Emil!" Anders called out with the same childish enthusiasm. He waited, looking expectantly at Lukas.

"This is my stinky brother Lukie." So Emil had learned how to hold a grudge. _Fantastic_. "Lukie! Be nice! Talk!" Emil ordered, drumming his feet against his brother. "And I'm hungry!" The boy began whining.

"So. Lukie huh?"

"It's Lukas."

"You guys coming or what? Time for breakfast! Let's go!"

"Uh-"

"Yay! Food!"

Emil jumped down from his brother's hold and ran out to hug the stranger around the legs, causing him to stumble a bit. Lukas followed them weakly.

"Emil, we have to go now. Come back here... Emil... Bror... Listen-"

"Oh stop bein' paranoid kid! You'll give yourself a heart attack. I'm not gonna do nothing. I just wanna talk."

Lukas glared at him and moved to snatch Emil away before the man's face became grave.

"A young man versus an old fool with a bum leg. You know you'd win that fight. I'm not a threat. Just wanted to talk."

Emil looked back and forth between the two before murmuring "Lukie, I'm hungry."

"I'll even go in your car, you have the advantage. For all I know you could be some crazy person with a baseball bat and plan to beat me."

_Well, two outta three ain't bad_.

"Uh-sure." _Why the hell did he say that?!_

He should be carrying Emil in a mad dash towards the nearest authority figure (though it'd be stupid to run to a cop while he's trying to keep his brother.) but at least be trying to get away.

He was sure that today would be the day he won a Darwin. With that happy thought, he led them to the car. If the wrappers on the floor bothered Anders, he didn't mention it so Lukas didn't bother to apologize. Emil called "click" from his seat and Lukas started the car, asking Anders for directions as to where to go.

After getting them onto a freeway, Anders opened his mouth to speak. He hesitated before sighing and asking "Are you running away?"

The man from before, the joker, the dirty blond and gray haired child with a cane, was gone. Anders looked worn and haunted now, years etched into his face.

Lukas spat "Yes", surprised at his own hostility.

"I don't understand...why would you do this to your parents? Surely it couldn't have been that bad-"

"Mommy and Daddy are sleeping, right Lukie? Sleeping. Nap time in the boxes?" Emil put his hands together up to his shoulder and pretended to sleep.

"Yes Emil. Sleeping." Lukas reassured him coolly.

Anders stared at Lukas.

"How old are you?" He finally asked.

_Well, I don't suppose it matters_, he thought. "Seventeen" was the terse response.

"So young," Anders mused sadly. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Don't be."

Anders finally caught onto the tone of finality in Lukas's voice.

"Take the exit and merge right." He instructed.

...

When Anders had said breakfast, he wasn't expecting this at all. Lukas figured he'd be led down a dirt road and axed to death going around with strangers. Not this mess. He couldn't hope to pronounce the French name.

"Come on, boys!" Anders called at the two gawking at the building.

Lukas came up with a ridiculous scenario about rich people being into cannibalism. They were led to the back of a spacious garden that was sectioned off by fountains. Anders lightly ordered them to sit, Emil hopped up on a chair and Lukas struggled with the need to rebel, for some control in the situation.

Next they were told to order so the staff would be out of the way. Lukas bit at his lip and looked at the parchment.

The words were hopeless accented gibberish, but he took solace in the word crepes. He knew what those were. He warily looked over at the prices and felt a little faint, then offended.

Anders chuckled, watching Lukas's facial expressions throughout the ordeal.

"Calm down, Lukas. You drove, I'm buying. Just get whatever you'd like. But could'ja figure out what Emil'd eat? They don't exactly serve kids meals here. "

Lukas nodded coolly and looked over the bound papers.

Crepes. Emil likes strawberries. That should do.

"... Are strawberry crepes alright?"

"I dunno, are they? 'S your food. Order what you want."

"Emil likes strawberries..."

"STAWBERRAHS!" Emil yelled.

"That's good. What are you having?"

"Strawberry crepes-"

"Why're ya getting the same thing?"

Lukas stared at Anders this time and huffed in frustration.

_You're_ _kidding_ _right_.

"What's wrong?"

"This is weird."

"How's it weird? We're two friends who are- acquaintances who are getting breakfast. " he amended at Lukas's expression.

"Can't you read? This was already insanity. This morning I'm trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do to feed Emil and keep gas in the car and-" Lukas realized he'd slipped up. And Anders had noticed. _Damn_.

"Now you're looking at me like you think it's funny that I'm freaking out."

Anders failed at masking his laugh as a cough.

"I'm sorry, we'll start over. I'm Anders Kohler. Do you like coffee?"

Lukas was ready to go off at him, regardless that his little brother was watching him fume, until he heard coffee. He missed coffee.

"I'll take that as a yes then. How do you like it?"

"Black. But-"

"Isn't this great? We're learning. Asking questions. I'll ask one. You answer and then you get to ask one. We'll go back and forth... So, what flavor crepe do you want?"

Lukas huffed, scanned the list and murmured " Raspberry. Now I get to ask a question- what's going on?"

Anders waved the staff person back and ordered the crepes, both strawberry and raspberry; something Lukas couldn't hope to pronounce, two black coffees, some sort of juice for Emil and something about ham, saying his nephews were looking scrawny.

"Nephews?" Lukas asked once the person disappeared out of earshot.

"Hey! I thought we agreed one question at a time. To answer the first- we're eating breakfast. You're kinda slow. And as for the nephews thing- I had to say something. It'd be weird if they heard the story. ' think I kidnapped you guys or somethin'. Now, what're yer names?" The jovial man had returned.

"Lukas Bondevick and Emil Steillson. Why did you, er, not that I'm not grateful but why-"

"Why the different surnames? And you helped me."

"My parents thought I was going to be a girl. I have our mother's maiden name. Our father's first name is Steill, and being an Icelander he named Emil Steillson. I picked up your cane- that's not really helping. I'm withholding my question."

Just then the food arrived, saving the awkward mood. Emil tore at his crepes, making a mess of strawberries and cream on his face.

"Stawberrahs." He said with a giggle, beaming at the others at the table.

Little Emil managed to break the others out of their spell and they began to eat as well.

...

"Thank you-" Lukas turned to Anders after setting his fork down.

"Do you guys have some place to go?" Anders blurted.

"Excuse me?"

"You said you're running away. You're seventeen, you can't take care of yourself, much less your brother like this-" Anders was shaking at this point. "- I can help you. Even just a little, enough so that I know you'll be alright... I've made my mistakes and-"

Lukas coughed a little,"Mr. Kohler, thank you but-"

"Please. Hear me out. I can help you. I'll get out of your way as soon as you're both safe. It isn't right. I did some things that weren't right but now I can make it up. Just let me-"

"What are you talking about?" Anders was getting more frantic by the second and it was making Lukas nervous.

Anders took a shuddering breath. "My son. My wife. Everything that mattered. Gone in one way or another." His fist clenched.

Emil hopped down from his chair and hugged Anders, crooning "Shhhhhsh, Anders. Shhhhhhhh~"

Anders picked himself up and carded and hand through the albino's hair. "Thank ya, Emil." And picked up the child to sit on his good leg and bounced him gently on his knee.

"So, I'm getting old and sentimental. You've both done a lot for me and I want to thank ya properly."

_His moods keep changing. And we haven't done anything._ Lukas thought.

"Lukas, take care of your brother. Promise me that you will."

"Why wouldn't I?" Lukas snapped, offended that Anders thought he could ever let go of his only family.

"I'm sorry. I can see that I've been driving you crazy. " That was an understatement. "I don't know why, or whatever told me, but today in the park I had to find you after picking up my cane. I saw you carrying your brother, I knew you were a good kid. You deserve a shot, not shoved in a 'care for a year and separated. That's what you're afraid of, right? Losing him... I'm an old, heirless, poor old man. I'll be off on a business trip overseas and my house will be empty-" At Lukas's expression he clarified. "I said poor man because I've lost everything that matters. Money's shit, kid. Don't mean nothin'. You need somewhere to start over. Finish school, get a job you like, meet somebody, just whatever'd make ya happy. I can get you into one of my estates nearby. Get ya what ya need. Clothes, food, whatever. You have a car, or ya could call my usual drivers if ya want. Hell, hire a maid if you want. The house'll be yours when I leave. I'll deal with the legal jargon, make ya my wards. I'm not gonna stick around to screw up again. You're a smart kid for makin' it this far, I'm sure ya can forge a few signatures just fine and pretend you've got a parent at home. I'll get an account set up to send ya the money. If something comes up, lemme know. I'll want reports on how yer doin' in school and anything along the way. And 'bout Emil too o'course. Just an email every once and a while should do. Promise you'll take care of your brother and business like a man and it's yours."

Lukas stood, dumbstruck.

Anders shrugged. "That's my deal, take it or leave it. I'm gonna call for a driver to come pick me up. Decide before they get here."

With that, Anders set Emil in his own seat and snatched up his cane before hobbling a little ways away with a phone.

"Lukie?"

"Yeah?"

"My friend said we should go with Anders. That's what he say, Lukie. That's what he say."

Lukas swept across the floor and held Emil to his chest.

This was insanity- how could this ever work out? It was suicide. He was being an idiot. But the alternatives he had left...

"You guys ready to head out?"

Emil met his brother's wide eyes and nodded. The gaze held an eerie intelligence for a toddler, and snapped the elder out of his stupor.

Lukas exhaled slowly.

"Anders?" Lukas called out with uncertainty. "Were you serious?"

Anders clapped him on the shoulder lightly with a kind smile.

"You bet. Come on, car's almost here. I also called someone else to drive yours in."

Anders then gestured for them to go on out the doors and ignored the staff in favor of getting non perfumed air. He strode past a few vehicles that Lukas had only seen on movie screens before stopping at two men who stood at attention at one of the beasts.

"Car guy?" Anders asked him, looking amused.

"No." Lukas snorted but continued to gawk at the machines. He was afraid to get too close to the flashy things, and the damned lot was a labyrinth.

"Lukas, d'ya mind if one of these gentlemen drive your car?"

He hesitated, but surrendered the keys to the man on the left. He left and the other opened the back doors for them. Emil bolted in, Lukas calmly went after his brother before noticing a problem.

"Anders? Could I get the car seat? Emil's too small t-"

Emil scowled at his brother's words and Anders looked smug.

"I already sent Mr. Hurt to go get it."

Mr. John Hurt returned and offered the seat. Lukas secured it and murmured 'click' with Emil as the belts were fastened.

Everyone settled, the engine growled and Anders made "small talk" and scribbled the information on a notepad for paperwork.

"I leave for Copenhagen next week. Enough time to get everything in order though and get out of your hair." Anders swore.

On the topic of school, Anders raised his eyebrows and gave an appreciative "Smart kid" when Lukas recited his records and grades with a bored tone. None of that garbage mattered, except for if it was to Emil's benefit.

"You would've been Valedictorian." Anders murmured.

Lukas merely shrugged before it hit him again. He needed the damn diploma if he had any hope of caring for Emil.

The car slowed to a stop in front of a gated drive. A large one story made of gray brick with paths of stones winding around the groves of trees and small patches of flowers in bloom and glowing in the late spring sun.

"Come along, now." The driver said, holding open the door. Mr. Hurt took Emil's car seat and reinstalled it into Lukas's car. The driver's departed at some point, while the brothers stood in states of awe.

"Ohhhh... This you house Anders?" Emil asked.

Anders smiled and chuckled at the toddler. "You wanna go inside? I promise it's really cool."

"Yes!" Emil shouted and started to run before stopping to look at a patch of flowers.

"Y'gonna stand out here all day?" Anders questioned the elder boy.

Lukas walked after Anders and clasped Emil's hand, leading him away from the daisies he'd been admiring and up to the house.

...

Lukas hummed as he threw their traveling clothes into the washing machine. Anders had excused himself to his office after showing them a bathroom, the kitchen, and his office if they needed him before turning them loose and ordering them to explore. Lukas figured this was okay. He hummed a particularly loud note and stopped until he heard Emil's hum in response. The rule was Emil could wander some so long as he was within earshot. Emil crawled around outside the doorway to Lukas's confusion.

"Raaaaaa~ Ima lion Lukie. Raaaaa~"

Lukas slunk to his knees and silently moved behind Emil.

"I'm a big brother lion. Rawr."

Emil jolted and squealed before dragging himself away. Lukas chased him around on the floor, the younger giggling and struggling when he was caught.

Anders knocked on the arch that separated the hall from the office, a benevolent grin on his face.

"All set. Well, most of it. Lukas you exams-"

Lukas froze. The exams- they were- when? He tried to count the days. Had he missed them? Damn it all.

"-I scheduled for you to take them with a state proctor tomorrow. It was the best I could get on short notice, sorry. I'm sure you'll do fine."

Lukas exhaled in relief. "Thank you. I was afraid I'd have to default them."

"Alrigh'. No problem. We'll go around noon. Three of 'em, so it should be done in time to get some dinner. Emil and I will wait in the corridors when you test." With that, Anders led them down the next hall "I've got a guest room that's clean before I clear out Matthias's room-" his voice caught an odd tone, causing Lukas to flick his eyes over at the man.

"Matthias?"

"My son is dead." Anders stated, but unable to completely hide the waver in his voice.

"I'm sorry." Lukas murmured. He meant it, but he knew as well as anyone that those words didn't help anything. He imagined the pain (it wasn't difficult) of having to remove a son's presence after they died.

"We- uh- always stay together. Emil stays with me. Nothing has to change."

Anders looked relieved at that and mumbled, "'k. I'm gonna go do some more work." And then regressed to the office.

Emil darted into the next dark hallway on all fours, getting a few seconds head start before big brother lion followed hot on his heels.

...

Okay. I finally got this out.

Reason for absence. A really bad case of bronchitis that's had me in and out of the hospital for the past two months.

Alright: lazy town- Icelandic-American kid's show. Emil watches it. Moving right along.

Who caught Matthias's cameo? He'll become increasingly present in Emil's and more importantly Lukas's lives really soon.

*shots* alright, I hate oc's too. I'm sorry but Anders had to exist. He's pretty much gone starting next chapter till towards the end so just bear with me. And I realize this is unrealistic but bear with me.

Darwin Award- basic idea from good ole Darwin is the stupid die off. Lukas was being pretty stupid. Don't go places with strangers, even if they have candy.

John Hurt- *shot for doctor who reference.*

I've decided two chapters at once because nothing super awesome happened this chapter around. It'll get better soon trust me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Car Ride Home

He huffed in frustration as he snapped his fifth pencil. He was trying to be quick, but the pencil and scantron were painfully slow. The sooner he finished, the sooner he'd get Emil back from Anders. Not that he didn't trust the man, but he wanted his brother.

The proctor sighed and handed him another pencil. Lukas was back to filling in the circles.

...

Lukas couldn't get out of the room fast enough. The wretched soul crushing room had become suffocating in the few hours he was confined. The proctor looked relieved that he'd finished hours ahead of schedule.

"Done already?" Anders chuckled.

Emil ran and wrapped himself around his brother's legs. He picked the boy up and followed their crippled benefactor.

...

Lukas made dinner in their kitchen that night.

"Thank ya, Lukas. That's the first home cooked meal I've had since Matthias cooked for me." Now, all Anders did was smile and look at ease.

Later the laptop was brought down to the table for Anders and Lukas to go through the process of ordering.

Anders managed to order new clothes to fit the boys and a few pairs of shoes for each.

"You guys better look good if you're gonna be here." Anders teased.

Ignoring Lukas's protests, Anders ordered a fleet of toys for Emil and art supplies, as well as resin and fresh bowstrings for Lukas. They worked into the night, Emil nodding off on Lukas. Stroking the child's hair absentmindedly, he listened to Anders go over contacts and places he could order groceries though they were welcome to head to the markets on their own.

Instruction over, the man turned off the laptop and creaked a bit getting off of the couch. Lukas rose slowly, balancing the sleeping boy on his hip. Anders clapped him on the shoulder.

"Take care, Lukas."

"You too." Lukas replied.

He was surprised at his own sincerity in the words. Tomorrow morning, Anders would leave. The stranger he'd met just days ago proved to be his greatest ally in this world. An odd blessing in disguise.

Lukas stuck his hand out, which Anders grasped and shook before pulling Lukas forward with strength didn't know he possessed and hugged him. He nearly recoiled at the contact.

Lukas hugged Emil. Lukas had rarely ever hugged his mother. Lukas couldn't even remember the last time he'd hugged his father.

Lukas returned Anders's hug.

"Thank you." Anders whispered to him before releasing the two.

To Lukas's surprise the man's eyes were watery as he brushed his hand over Emil's back.

Anders nodded then, recomposing himself. "Good night then."

"Good night."

Anders nodded again and shuffled off to his room while Lukas shifted Emil in his arms. Lukas retreated to their room, not bothering to change their clothes before laying down to sleep.

...

He roused Emil with a light shake. The sun had yet to rise, from what Lukas could tell they had about an hour before dawn.

"Come on. Don't you want to see Anders?"

Emil's eyes opened at hearing the name of his friend, though still full of sleep. He rubbed his faces tiredly before reaching his arms out, demanding to be carried. His brother complied and went to work in the kitchen with the deadweight slouched at the table.

Pancakes being flipped onto plates, Anders appeared.

"You guys woke up?" He asked incredulously.

"Anders!" Emil squealed and ran to cling onto the man's good leg.

"Emil!" Anders responded with the same enthusiasm and picked the boy up. The two had their hugfest while Lukas distributed their breakfast.

Emil was adamant that he had to stay in Anders's lap while they ate. Which turned out to be an excuse to pull on the man's beard. Emil watched with fascination when the man popped a pill in his mouth with a swig of orange juice. Emil giggled when the man made a face and continued tugging playfully. The two continued babbling when Lukas tidied up the table. All too soon for the group, the drivers returned and carried Anders's luggage out. The trio made their way outside, the sun beginning to glow over the horizon.

In the yard, Anders squeezed Emil one last time and kissed the crown of the child's head.

"Be good, ya hear? No trouble for your brother."

Emil nodded and began to pout.

Anders hugged Lukas, saying nothing before transferring Emil to Lukas's arms. They nodded. Anders used his cane to reach the car, held a hand up and ducked inside.

Lukas held a hand up while Lukas waved boisterously with both and cried "See you soon!"

They stood on the lawn until the dust settled.

...

It took days for the change to sink in. Emil still cried over their parents while Lukas held and comforted him as best he could. His own apathy at their demise scared him. Now that Anders wasn't there to distract Emil from the loss, he'd gone back to crying and acting out. Lukas supposed his behavior was normal, much unlike his own, and let him get away with his fits and ignored the headaches he was getting. However, the sporadic bloody noses he was getting grew aggravating.

Lukas had jumped and quickly found Anders's notes on tutoring and an academy that Anders advised he check out before enrolling Emil. Anders had left Lukas with two options for his schooling, electronic or local high school, each with the choice of private tutors.

Lovely high school. Full of experiences one would remember for the rest of their life. He absolutely loathed it. The people were idiots. They were so loud, so preoccupied with the unimportant drama in their lives. He hasn't really had anyone to call his friend, there were a few acquaintances that he didn't miss. The teachers were painfully slow in their lessons as well, and he'd be scolded for reading while others "worked", until he'd show his completed assignments and was left alone though followed with incredulous stares.

He clicked the mouse a few times and found himself enrolled in a virtual class. He wouldn't even have to worry about Emil getting home. Now they had the summer to make a good game plan. He sat on the couch and thought before coming to the realization-

It was over. There were no expectations to meet up to. No one dictating where he'd go to school, what he had to major in, what job he'd have. No one to tell him he was weird.

After all this time, he was free. He had Emil. They'd be fine. Lukas continued mulling over their shift in fortune. He crossed the floor to their bedroom. Emil was...talking? To who? They were alone. He edged open the door and froze. What-

"Hi Lukie!" Emil hollered happily from within a misty shadow.

"What are you doing!"

"I'm just playing with my friend Mah-fi." Emil murmured softly, cringing away from him. Lukas realized that he'd been screaming. He looked back. Whatever the hell he saw was gone.

"Sorry."

Emil nodded and skipped over to Lukas, accepting the apology. Lukas scooped him up an checked the room once more. He cautiously exited. He could've sworn he saw a figure there.

...

He decided to give the market a try. The need for air and a cure for his paranoia drove him to rush through dressing Emil and tying their shoes. He almost sprinted out the door. The market wasn't too far, so they settled for walking. There wasn't anything they particularly needed, the house well stocked with their orders but there wasn't any harm in looking. Emil had lead the way, demanding nectarines and cherries. _Rainier_ _cherries_. They had to be Rainier. He had to explain that they couldn't get them until after his birthday, pay for the produce, and convince Emil to leave.

They came back to the road, Emil humming between bouts of asking for cherries (not Rainier), which Lukas would deny with the reason _'I haven't washed them yet. They're dirty.'_ then Emil would hum again. The cycle repeated three times before they both tensed.

Lukas reached for Emil, his only thought was _'Son of a bitch!_'at the screech. He could only shove Emil away before the wreck in motion reached them.

He heard Emil scream something that sounded like _'my_ _feet'_ and felt a sharp tug on the back of his shirt. Then everything was gone.

...

Okay so I don't own the characters or hetalia. I don't know how anyone could think I do. Disclaimer installed. Moving on.

-I don't see Lukas as a very huggy person (...yet...)

- pulling on an old sage man's beard when you're cute little Emil-sized kid is a joy. If you didn't get the opportunity I'm sorry.

- I may have shared my opinion of high school through Lukas.

-and we see the summary in this chapter.

-anyone get the title? Anders gets in the car and leaves home and then Lukas and Emil and the car and yep. I suck at making titles when I don't have something immediately cleverish.

-freaking Rainier cherries. So good! Go get some when they're in season (like midsummer)

- catch Matthias cameos? Mah-fi. My feet. Whatever.

-and a cliffy. Sorta.

You get some Matthias next chapter so be happy

I have four typed out but I think three chapters in a day is kinda- *shrugs* anyways. I'll have it out this week I swear. Lest I get hit by a car or something. *knocks on wood* anyways-

Please help me. Any advice or angry words or whatever you could give me would help!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Welcome to Hell

"Padda-cake, padda-cake, bake-a-man. Bake me a cake as fas' as you can-" _That'd be Emil._  
A new voice gasped _"As fast as you can?!"_  
"As fas' as you can!" Emil confirmed.  
He heard laughter. Emil's laugh and an incredibly obnoxious one.  
"Come here, silly."  
The voice seemed to instantly piss him off. He could hear Emil's footfalls farther away from him.  
_"Wheeeee"_ Emil shrieked.  
Damn his head hurt. He groaned and tried opening his eyes. The sky was gray. No clouds. No sun. Just gray.  
"Lukie!" Emil cheered.  
His head whipped (and ached in the movement) to see Emil on the shoulders of a man and gripping at their hair.  
"'Mornin' sleeping beauty."  
Oh yes. He definitely pissed Lukas off.  
...

_Where..._  
The rest was varying shades of gray. Outcroppings of rock, some shriveled and burnt sticks in the ground. Just plains of gray.  
He stood after a few moments, staggered a few steps towards the pair before his legs gave out. The man caught his arm. To Lukas's horror he was lifted up and carried- like a girl no less. All the while Emil cheered, the man laughed and his head hurt.

He was on a futon in a dreary room with a few bare and rather depressing bulbs strung up from the ceiling.  
"Is he waking up?... Maybe you should kiss him! Because you said he's like a princess and-and princesses wake up when they're kissed."  
_'Flawless logic Emil.'_ Lukas then heard nervous laughter and someone shuffle close to him.  
He flung himself upwards and felt his skull bash against the other's.  
_"Aghhhh!"_ he heard the man yell.  
_Good. I hope your head hurts worse than mine._  
"Yay! It worked! Lukie is the princess!"  
"Emil?"  
"Yeah!"  
"It's big brother. Don't call me princess."  
He looked down at the man clutching his head.  
"Who are you?" Lukas fumed.  
"Well sweetheart, aren't you a ray of sunshine. My name's Matthias."  
He couldn't stop the surprise from making itself known on his face.  
"Matthias Andersson Kohler. Ya'know, most people give their names when being introduced. But I don't suppose it matters, does it Lukas?"  
"D-d-did we die?" Lukas stammered, paling quickly.  
"What?" His cynical attitude evaporated to confusion.  
"Are we dead? Emil and I- did the car?"  
Matthias laughed. "You wouldn't be here if you were."  
"Then what-... You're dead."  
"None of us are dead so don't worry. See-" Matthias took Lukas's hand and pushed two fingers against the smaller's carotid and then pressed the fingers against his own "-pulse and everything."  
Lukas snatched his hand away from the man.  
"Lukie? You okay?" Emil asked as he climbed onto the futon.  
His head throbbed as he nodded and turned to the freak who knew everything and fire off questions.  
"Where are we? Why are we here? What's going on? And why does Anders think you're dead?"  
Matthias snapped back almost as quickly.  
"In my 'house' in wherever the hell this is. 'Waldy and I don't even know what it is so don't ask. You're here because I couldn't directly teleport you guys home. I was keeping you from being mowed down-" he gulped then, looking hesitant before whispering, more to himself than anything "- my father thinks I'm dead. To most of the world...I'm...dead."  
The smirk was gone. Eyes were wide and full of fear. "Do you think I'm dead?" The boisterous man's voice was small and childlike, pleading for reassurance.  
His head throbbed again, but he murmured "You have a pulse, don't you?"  
The male grinned. Emil padded across the cushion to pat the man on the head.  
"'Sokay Mah-fi. No more sad. You 'live."

Mah-fi  
_Mah-fi_  
_** Mah-fi**_

His head spun while he grasped at the truth. Matthias...Mah-fi...  
His head crashed onto the cushion. Some fingers combed through his hair, like his mother did when he was Emil's age. When he was small. Lukas had never wanted to be small until then. He relaxed under the touch while Emil crawled onto the futon to rest beside him.  
The man broke the silence.  
"... I think I should take you home now. You're kinda roughed up."  
"I still don't understand- why do they think you're dead? Will we see you again? And-"  
"Do you want to see me again?" Matthias/Mah-fi inquired, a slow grin making itself known.  
Lukas scowled when he realized his slip up.  
"...I'll be around, so don't worry. I'll show you if you want to understand, but for now you need to get home."  
"... How?"  
"I already told you. Teleport."  
At the look Lukas gave Matthias gave a rueful smile.  
"There are worse things than dying."

Lukas held Emil in his arms and looked towards the Dane.  
"Close your eyes until Emil tells you to open them. It'll make you really dizzy."  
He was hefted up, and though agitated he inevitably complied and closed his eyes.  
His bangs whipped around his face and he clutched Emil tighter. All at once the movement stopped and he felt himself falling for a few moments before hitting his back. They bounced a few times on the mattress before Emil patted his face.  
"Eyes open, Lukie!"  
He felt himself start. They were on their bed, he nearly ripped the curtains trying to reach the window. They were definitely in the house. No gray. No bunker.  
It wasn't real then. Easy. A dream. _Why would be dream such a place though? Or such a person?_ He could have hit his head getting out of bed this morning, maybe that was why he had a bump. He had dreamed taking Emil to the market for nectarines and cherries (not Rainier) and the car going to hit them and the gray wasteland. What was his subconscious doing? He'd never seen a picture of Anders's son, so how could "Mah-fi" be "Matthias"?  
Emil watched his brother slowly lose his mind before commanding "Cherries!"  
The fruit. They didn't go to the market. Nevertheless, he headed to the kitchen to prove that there were no cherries.  
He froze looking inside of the fridge. All of the fruit he'd apparently bought had been put away in a more or less neat fashion (and not run over though some had light bruising). He snatched the bag, washed a handful and began halving them for Emil. He tossed the pieces into a bowl and offered the cherries to the boy before slumping against the cabinets to stare at the floor.  
"Lukie~" Emil garbled around a mouthful of fruit "-pay-pah!" Then he gestured at the table top.  
There was a water bottle, two pills, an ice pack and a note in a thin scrawl.  
_Kick back for a few days, I've got this covered- Matthias_

...

And now we have another bit of MAK-daddy Matthias. I am so sorry for that. The reason I dubbed him Matthias Andersson Kohler was because my swede unwittingly said that Denmark sounded like a 'mac daddy' to her. And this terrible idea was born. What the hell have I done?  
I apologize for the shortness but rest assured, I'm drafting chapter 17 today. I need to catch up with my typing.

So. In all the seriousness that I can muster: how would you feel if I bumped up the rating? Next chapter will contain f-bombs (like one.. but more to come) and I don't want to get in trouble for that but also- my Swedish husband (same one to blame for "mac daddy Denmark" is ordering 'sexitimes' between Lukas and Matthias.)  
It wouldn't be for a while and I'd be sure to add warnings to the chapters. But also there'll be upcoming allusions to adult content sooner than 'sexy time' (and if you're saying- but Denmark's a slender/ dead-ish and Norway's human then how does that work?- you don't know the whole plot line to make it not weird tentacle stuff or deadness or crazy shit. Not my cup of tea.)

So. All this plus I don't know how people take my unfiltered thoughts that are present in upcoming chapters. Bear with me. Better safe than sorry?

P.S. Anya Braginskaya. To answer the lovely questions you've been leaving me (seriously. I jump around my house and people think I'm crazier than usual because that means there are people actually reading my crap)  
Matthias is not a ghost. The slender idea spawned from a camping trip and I thought slender!sweden. But then the bunnies did as bunnies do and I made a prequel (this) to the original plot. As for the title- I have no freaking clue. Coincidence. I don't know. It sounded decent and I had to remind my little brother "don't be afraid of the dark" while we were camping. The sequel however is to be called "Whispers in the Dark", the title I did rip off from the song by Skillet. (And then the pending sequel to that one that I'm debating will be "I will follow you into the Dark" which is also ripped off a song. And the pending prequel focusing on Matthias and Berwald would be "shadow of the day"…I'm really not creative with titles.

Anyways. I don't own stuff. Consider this disclaimed. All I do is type and scribble in my notebook.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- Sweet Dreams and Dark Waking

Lukas slept. He was vaguely aware of Emil's comings and goings. As well as his parents'. His memories danced around the room in the semiconscious haze.  
He once noted that the pills were merely generic over the counter medication for headaches and shouldn't be causing him to hallucinate before logic left him again.

His parents when they'd been happy, tucking him in bed. A baby Emil crying. The sneaker. The bikes. The gray. Emil curled next to him at night, whispering_ 'sweet dreams'_. Two pills on the bedside table. The fights. The competitions. Music. Emil asking him to wake up soon. The car. The truck. Buying the stuffed puffin for Emil on a field trip to the zoo. Two pills. Fishing with their father before he hated Lukas. A birthday party, the one that made him hate parties. Reading to the blob. The shadow of a man on the wall. Playing Mjollnir. The memories grew sharper. When he put the cross in his hair after going home with Emil.

_He'd gone through her jewelry box. Most of the contents she rarely wore, but the pin was hers, and she was the pin. He'd clipped his bangs back and went back to Emil, glaring at the dark crisscrosses in the ivory. Those shouldn't have been there. They made him angry. Emil was soft and white. The new colors and textures disturbed him_.

The haze began to fade. His hand slapped the table for the pills that came without fail. Instead his fingers found paper.  
_**You've had enough. Emil's missing you. Come back soon.**_  
Lukas got to his feet and was painfully reminded of the existence of his bladder. He reached the bathroom adjacent the bedroom and was grateful for the relief. With a dulled mind and a glance in the mirror, he decided a shower wasn't a bad idea.  
The frigid water began rolling over his skin. He convulsed until it steamed. Lukas uncapped a bottle and lathered its goo in his hair, relishing in the familiar scent.  
_Emil._  
He trembled now. How long had he been out? Emil was by himself. He'd left a four year old to fend for himself while he threw a mental bitch fit. That was inexcusable. He berated himself while rushing to get the suds off.  
_The notes_. Someone had to have been here. _Matthias?_ That was what the first had said.  
He shut the water off and wrapped a towel around his waist before climbing out. He exhaled slowly when he saw the set of clothes on the counter. That he hadn't put there. No one had come in. The door was barely creaked open. He shuddered. Feeling self-conscious and battling the oncoming madness, he dressed.  
...

He heard Emil babbling. He was okay then. He reached a room he hadn't bothered with in the time they'd lived there. Anders said that this was his son's room. The door was open a sliver. Emil had to be in _that_ room of all places. In the back of his mind he knew he should be getting used to the weirdness but he jumped back at the sight.  
Emil was peacefully building with Legos, his back towards the door. On the other side of the tower knelt a figure, all pitch black except for pale the face. There wasn't a face. A few indentions and contours that looked like a face, but without actual eyes or a mouth. It lifted It's head up, and seemed to observe him.  
That's when he noticed movement...  
IT HAD FUCKING TENTACLES!  
He flinched as he watched a few move around the being, others were directed at his brother. A few tendrils were touching Emil, brushing through his hair-_why wasn't he scared?- _and wrapping around his hands before releasing.  
He almost laughed when he realized that when the tendrils touched Emil's outstretched hands, It'd withdraw and Emil'd put a block on the tower. He saw the tendrils holding the bright colors_. It was handing him blocks_ playing his game. The tendrils in his hair seemed almost..._affectionate_.  
It still stared at him. Lukas stared back. Emil noticed that It was focused on the doorway. Emil turned and beamed, "Lukie!"

He squeezed the little body, ignoring the thing that'd retreated to a far corner of the room. He jerked backwards when Emil touched his eyes with the corner of his shirt.  
Emil looked concerned. "... Lukie crying? Please big brother, don' be sad."  
He ran his hand on his face. The moisture was there. He held Emil closer.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."  
"You sick. Mah-fi said you sick. You better now?"  
Lukas nodded furiously into the child's neck and rocked back on his heels.  
"All better." He promised.  
From the corner of his eye he saw the thing's head bob... _approval?_ and climb up the wall, onto the ceiling, overhead and out the doorway, leaving them to their reunion.  
Lukas shivered but silently accepted the gift of privacy.

...

The next need he remembered was food. He carried Emil to the kitchen, only to see It hunched over the table with a handful of cookie cutters. It organized the circles, stars and dinosaurs onto two plates and brushed the crusts into the waste bin before tossing the cookie cutters into the sink and leaving the kitchen.  
"Yay! Lunch!" Emil squealed and reached for the table, apparently accustomed to this routine.  
Lukas relented, sat Emil in his chair and hesitantly picked up a circle.  
He nibbled on the small sandwich before asking "...Emil? How long was I sleeping?"  
"Hmmm... Few days." He said with a shrug. _**DAYS?**_  
"You ate, right?" He asked feeling worse by the second. "How'd you eat? And you're clean!" _The boy was clean. He couldn't turn the faucet himself. How was he clean?_  
The madness suffocated Lukas. He hated it.  
"Mah-fi made me food and gave me a bath when you was sleeping. He played games with me too! We build buildings and Mr. Puffin knocks them down!" Emil answered excitedly.  
_Mah-fi_.  
"Wh-why do you keep saying Mah-fi?" He stammered.  
"'Cuz Mah-fi-us is a loooooong name and Mah-fi say I can call him Mah-fi."  
Mah-fi-us. Matthias.  
"S-so Matthias was here. Taking care of you?"  
"Yeah! We play games. Lots of games. Even on the ceiling!"  
_Ceiling?!_  
Lukas busied himself with sandwich eating to starve off the panic. When they were gone, he attempted to stand and take the plates away, It returned. It took the plates and washed the contents inside the sink.  
"Matthias?" He chanced.  
It put the dishes down, turned slowly, crossed the floor over to Lukas. It made him painfully aware of their height differences before it shrank some, still taller than Lukas but reasonably so and stared down at his face. It's shoulders slumped some before nodding.  
"_**Lukasssss**_" It hissed.

...

Sooo... Short chapter… and I changed the rating.

I love you guys. Seriously. I jump around and squeal in public places when I get the notifications. *Has been branded as crazy*

Dear anon guest: Thanks for brightening my day and making me fear for my life. I'd been having writers block in chapter 17 and jump to writing another scene. You were going to send Russia on me… I screamed, threw my phone on the ground and started turning in circles looking for him freaking out that I was going to have all my organs removed and then die. Fantastic.

AN EDIT: I AM SO SORRY! IT'S FIVE IN THE MORNING AND I HAVE EXAMS TODAY AND I LEFT OUT MY OTHER REVIEWERS WHO I LOVE SO MUCH! *grovels* please forgive me!

Thank You starrynights1987! I will get more out I promise. Only two days of school left!

Anya! (can I call you Anya?) Slenderman- a monster created on the internet a few years back- if you want more info- PM me or something because I have a ton of notes for chapter 9 on this and I don't want spoilers. Which should be posted within the week so patience. I beg you. Mac-daddy. Pretty much means womanizer.

And thank you AiLeiben for being my first reviewer ever.

What's proper etiquette for replying to reviews anyway? Should I just PM for questions and answering, etc.? or is that weird. I don't know. Help?

Lukas is back. Matthias is a slender. Emil doesn't care because he's four and he does what he wants.  
Lukasssss. Cross out the 'Luk'. Dat asssss... I'm immature.  
Feedback? Even if it's screaming about the end of days and Spanish class. Anything.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

When one's parents die and you are turned over to the state, one does not leave the state with one's baby brother, especially without an actual plan. When one crosses paths with a stranger while on the run, one does not go to breakfast and then move into their house. When one's benefactor leaves for an international trip, one does not be a dumbass like Lukas, almost get hit by a car with Emil and wind up in a gray wasteland with a supposedly dead person. One does not get come back from said wasteland and promptly have a mental breakdown, leaving your baby brother on his own, or in the charge of someone who is supposedly dead and imaginary but apparently not. One does not come back from said mental breakdown and meet a creepy monster building a tower of Legos with one's baby brother and not freak out, then proceed to eat sandwiches made by the monster. One typically chases the monster away before it eats you, not let it wash the dishes. Seeing as Lukas had done so well with logical reactions and had made such good choices he chanced "Matthias?"  
...

His voice was scratchy and distorted, but it had to be Matthias. The dead-not-really-dead monster-thing.  
They stared at each other for a few minutes, Lukas not knowing how to begin and Matthias struggling to keep his voice.  
Emil pattered over and demanded to be held by Matthias. Matthias didn't turn his head, but an appendage that seemed to originate from his back wrapped around the toddler's middle and lifted him up, much to the albino's delight and Lukas's horror.  
"T-Tentacles...freaking me out a bit." Lukas stammered and then covered his mouth. Why'd be say anything? He could not decide between screaming and apologizing but It had merely nodded and transferred Emil to It's actual arm and the appendage had receded, at least out of view.  
_"S-s-s-sorry."_ he said.  
"So, you really are Matthias?"  
A nod.  
"How did you uh- grow the arms and stuff?" Not only did he sound like an idiot, but they stood in near silence. Great. He'd offended him. Matthias was giving a breathy hiss before it cracked.  
_"Haaaaaaaaard... T' speeeeeeakah'."_  
Oh.  
"I talk foh you!" Emil squealed.  
Matthias's head turned to Emil who's face contorted in concentration.  
"He asks if it's okay."  
"If what's okay?"  
"Me talking and uh, that he looks scary. But you don't look scary Mah-fi, don' be silly!"  
Lukas nodded.  
Emil concentrated again.  
"You can ask him stuff, Lukie. Ask!"  
"Er- Thanks for taking care of Emil while I was_- 'sick'_." He had remembered that Emil was present.  
"He says that's not a question bu' that's okay. You needed help. Ask a question Lukie!" Emil ordered.  
"How does Emil hear you then?"  
"He says kids can hear the- _fwekensy_?" Matthias nodded to Emil when he looked for confirmation. "And understand better. Kids can see him better too."

Interesting information but not what he needed.

"Why- how- sorry er..."  
"Why is he here?"  
Lukas nodded.  
"He says that this is his house. Oh. This was his house. Was his house. Now it's yours. Not his house."  
"Ah." _A ghost?_ "then, if you don't mind my asking, what exactly are you?"  
The toddler turned and stared at Matthias, making it look like they were having a conversation.  
Finally, Emil began. "He says he doesn't know. They're still trying to figure it out. He says people call them shades or slendermen, but he isn't sure."  
"So... You're a- shade? But you weren't before, were you?"  
Matthias shook his head.  
"What happened?"  
Emil concentrated for a few minutes before murmuring _"oh"_ and patting what would've been his face. Matthias set him down and slinked away.  
"Hey-" Lukas started but Matthias had disappeared in a shadow. He'd upset him.  
"Lukie... Mah-fi sad. He sad." Emil said, lip quivering.  
He scooped the boy up and rocked him, wary of the shadows in the room.  
"Lukie. He sad. Make him happy. He hurt. Make him better. He said bad people. So bad people did something bad to him? He sad. Lukie fix it." Emil whined.  
He hushed and rocked his brother before retreating to their room. He closed the door for false security and curled up in bed with his brother, the boy nor the bat left his grip.

In the next few days, things returned to normal. No shades. This should have cause the two to relax, but they only grew more anxious in Matthias's absence.  
They received their first email from Anders, asking how they were settling in and if there had been any trouble. Lukas reassured him that they were fine and that they'd been staying indoors. He snapped a picture of Emil playing with the new letter blocks and attached it to the message before adding a 'good luck' on Anders's next meeting.  
A few orders came in, bringing toys and clothes. Emil had cheered and pulled Lukas to the floor intent on playing the entire day. Lukas sat and built towers, drove cars, wriggled finger puppets and spoke in falsettos for the stuffed animals to Mr. Puffin's delight. All until the albino began nodding off, his head swaying with fluttering eyelids.  
"Bed time?" Lukas asked with a small smirk.  
"Nuh-uh" the little one shook his head and whined.  
Lukas lugged the little deadweight (who'd lost consciousness the moment his head touched Lukas's shoulder) to their bed, leaving the toys out. He'd pick them up in the morning.

He'd charged Emil with herding the stuffed animals into a bin while he picked up cars. Emil was babbling to his toys having immediately given up. Lukas rolled his eyes and grabbed the bin for the blocks.  
_The blocks_. They'd been moved.  
A small stack stood next to the letters  
' D-O-Y-O-U-H-A-T-E-M-E' with a 'Y' block to the left and an 'N' block to the right.  
Below the 'Y' was an arrow that pointed towards the stack. Beneath the 'N' trailed to the whiteboard. He'd wiped the board clean the night before. It was covered in the now familiar scrawl in red marker. Matthias had come back.  
It took him a moment to decipher the squiggles as  
_**'I'm so sorry! I left like a jerk but if you're reading this that means you don't hate me. Or you do and just found this first. I probably should have thought this through but too late. I just wanted to know if you wanted me to leave. I will if you want me to but I really don't want to and well yeah. You can erase this and then write a message. I'll read it tonight.  
See you later (hopefully),  
Matthias'  
**_  
Lukas sighed before erasing the words and replacing them in blue _'You can stay, but...'_ And continued picking up the toys.

He waited until Emil was worn out and crashed after taking a bath to move. He tucked pillows around Emil and crept out into the hall towards the 'playroom' and waited. The moment he heard the odd scratching on the walls he threw the door open.  
Matthias was still climbing down from the ceiling looking at the whiteboard before jolting back and looking at him.  
"Hi." Lukas murmured quietly at Matthias who picked up the red market and wrote on the board_** "Hey", **_then paused and wrote _**'but...?'**_  
Lukas hadn't really thought of any conditions or questions to ask. He racked his head for anything to say. Lukas cursed his social ineptitude and stood stock still before the shade.  
Matthias scribbled a message on the board.  
_**'Trust me?'**_  
Lukas looked at him in confusion. The apparition pointed at the words again.  
_Trust me?_  
Lukas took a breath and nodded slowly. The shade slipped his arms over Lukas and hissed.  
_"Thaannnnksss"_  
Lukas didn't move until he was out of Matthias's reach.  
"Answers?"  
The shade nodded.  
"You're a- er- slenderman, you weren't before, so- are there more like you?"  
A nod.  
"How many?"  
Matthias hesitated at the board before writing.

_**84s≥2  
85s?≥6**_

And now It was using algebra at him. Lukas nodded like he understood.  
"Where are they?"  
Matthias emitted something like a groan before scribbling again.  
_**'Not here.'**_  
"Where then?"  
_**'I don't know. But you wouldn't want them here.'  
**_The ominous words made him shudder, atmosphere near freezing.  
"Where are you from?"  
_**'Here, genius.'**_  
Lukas arched an eyebrow before Matthias waved him out to the hall and straight into Anders's room. The shade immediately pulled a book off the side table and flipped to a page before offering him the book. Anders standing with a young boy. He flipped forwards. A picture of the same boy with gravity defying hair waving a..._stick of dynamite?_  
Another few pages revealed an eighth birthday party, if the numbers were anything to go by. Flipping near the front, a picture of a toddler in a tuxedo tugging at his hair with the inscription 'Aunt Lisa's Wedding' at the bottom. He tried turning to the beginning but the shade caught his hand and brought him to near the end of the album. They were all pictures of Matthias Andersson Kohler. Sometimes Anders or a woman would appear in the shots but most were of Anders's not deceased son that'd he'd seen in the plain of gray. And who was currently beside him. The most recent picture was a little over two years old.  
Matthias touched his near featureless face and ghosted a hand over the picture before brushing over the side of Lukas's face. Lukas recoiled at the contact and they both took several steps backwards, Lukas tensed and Matthias with his...arms...out, palms up in an attempt to look nonthreatening.  
_"S-s-s-s-s-"  
_Lukas backed into a wall staring at the growing shade. The hissing stopped and the tendrils withdrew out of sight, Matthias shrinking some before reaching Lukas.  
_"S-s-s-sorry. Sorrr-ry. Didn't-t-t mean to. Won't do it-t-t-t hagainnn."_  
Lukas began breathing again. "What?" He stared incredulously.  
_"Sorry-y."_  
Lukas huffed and snatched up a notebook and pen before tossing them at Matthias, with more force than necessary, trying to control his breathing.  
Matthias made himself small in the corner clutching onto the book, before scribbling and quietly holding it up.  
_**'You OK?'**_ It read.  
"Yeah...yeah." Lukas huffed, nodding.  
_**'I'm sorry I touched you and then I tried saying sorry but I couldn't say it and then I started freaking out without trying to and then I did the arm thing you hate and I'm sorry.'**_  
Lukas couldn't help but give a weak laugh at the writing. He could picture a human Matthias flailing around and blurting the words into one frenzied sentence.  
"Okay then. We'll have you stick to writing then."  
He murmured and slid the book back across the floor to the nodding specter.  
_**'Forgive me?'**_  
"I don't see why not."  
_**'Can I stay?'**_  
"You act like I can make you leave."  
_**'I don't want to make you miserable. I was following my dad. I could try to follow him now but I'd rather not go too far from home.'  
**_"Again, you act like I can make you leave."  
_**'So you don't want me here then?'**_  
"I don't want to be slaughtered by a fucking monster with fucking tentacles."  
The specter emitted a low whine and scribbled again.  
_**'I don't hurt people. I try not to. It's just kinda lonely and I'd rather be here with people than out there. I'll even help you with your brother or clean or whatever you want if you say it's OK.'**_  
Lukas thought over the information before sighing.  
"I can't see the harm in you being here. I suppose if you wanted to eat us you'd've done it already."  
The shade made an indignant sound. _**'I don't hurt people.'**_  
Lukas gave a slow nod and picked himself off of the floor.  
_**'So...friends?'**_  
"We'll talk about it."  
Lukas allowed a small smirk at the shade. His eyes caught the clock on the wall.  
_Damn it to hell!_  
He groaned softly.  
Matthias cocked his head in confusion.  
"Clock."  
_**'Go to bed then.'**_ The shade shrugged.  
Lukas did a double take before shrugging too and dragging his feet out the door.  
"'Night Matthias."  
The page read _**'night!'**_ And the slender waved.  
With a nod, Lukas left the office and stumbled his way back to bed in the dark.

...  
This chapter was rather lame. I don't like it and I'm sorry. Time lapse next chapter… Which should be out tomorrow after my last day of school! Yay!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7-

Lukas had closed his eyes maybe three minutes before Emil began gouging his eyes and pulling his hair. He conceded to the tugging and sat up.

"You wake up. Make me bekfast."

"Ja, Emil, I know."

He yawned and found his footing as the door creaked open, revealing the now familiar specter.

Emil's head tilted some and then he turned to Lukas.

"Can Mah-fi make pancakes? He says to sleep and he'll make bekfast for me, an' I wan' pancakes."

"Is he making that up?" Lukas looked up at the shade, who shook his head as he hesitantly crossed the threshold.

He looked to Lukas for approval while holding a hand out for Emil. Exhaustion overcame brotherly duty and he shrugged.

"If you want to then fine."

Emil cheered and jumped at Matthias. From the shade's arms Emil yelled "Na-nigh, Lukie!" as they left for the kitchen and Lukas crawled back into bed.

...

His nap was interrupted by the scent of coffee permeating the air. Coffee. Coffee is good. He shuffled to the kitchen, abandoning the idea of sleeping.

Emil sat in his place demolishing a syrup laden plate with what were once pancakes. Matthias was perched on top of the fridge with a spatula, staring down at the skillet below. He then climbed down, flipped pancakes onto a plate and poured more batter onto the skillet and returned atop the fridge.

_Not even going I ask._

"He says 'good morning!'" Emil hollered. "Oh! And the coffee's for you. I axed him for some but he said that wasn't a good idea. I think it is. But the pancakes are mine!"

Matthias climbed down and flipped the pancakes and stood in front of the skillet.

"Bu' Mah-fiiiiiii..." Emil whined.

"Okay... You can have some pancakes Lukie." The toddler graciously conceded.

Another flip and the cakes were on the plate. Matthias poured the last of the batter onto the skillet and set to watch it.

Lukas heard the machine beep, so he could finally locate it on the counter. He poured himself a mug and proceeded to scald his tongue but continued sipping. Matthias flipped the last cake onto the plate and began gathering the dishes in the sink.

"He says to help youself."

Lukas forked a few onto a plate and headed over to the table. Matthias continued scrubbing while Lukas stared.

"He says 'you can eat mo' than that you know'" Emil quipped.

"You're not eating?" Lukas directed to the shade.

"...Lukie... He doesn't even have a mouth. He says he doesn't have to eat anymore. 'A shade thing'."

"Oh." He lamely returned to eating.

"PHOTOSYNTHESIS!" Emil screeched, causing Lukas to jump and Matthias to drop the soapy skillet on the floor in surprise.

"...why did you- what?"

"He doesn't eat food, he eats the light." Emil beamed. "Like in spongebob!"

Lukas slapped a hand over his face while Matthias sunk to the ground making an odd dying sound.

"Why is he laughing?" Emil pouted, putout at the reactions.

...

After Lukas's initial distrust, their days fell into a soft familiarity. They themselves melded into an odd (not to mention dysfunctional) family unit.

In the mornings, Emil would wake Lukas up an they'd begin breakfast preparations. Matthias would reappear sometime while they ate and waited for them to finish before going over the day's itinerary.

Lukas would work on class work in an effort to graduate sooner. He sat at the computer for a few hours while Emil and Matthias ran around the house playing. They'd break for lunch and Lukas would join the festivities, playing tag in the yard or whatever struck their albino dictator as fun. (They even threw Emil a small birthday party.) Lukas and Emil would eat dinner and settle into the living room, sometimes watching TV, others just sitting together or playing until Emil began whining. Lukas would run the child's bath and then tuck him in their bed. Most nights this was when Matthias left, promising to return the next morning. Others, he would stay long after, 'talking' to Lukas. They got along surprisingly well despite their differences. Since the night Matthias returned, there weren't any shouting or hostilities, just whispering and the scratch of pen on paper or the squeak of marker on whiteboard. They talked about their childhoods. Their likes and disliked. Stories about the schools they no longer attended. Friends and enemies. Sports they played. Some about the shades. Almost everything except for what brought them there.

It wasn't until Matthias hesitated before carefully scribbling one warm summer night. _**'Can I ask what happened?'**_

Lukas raised an eyebrow in confusion.

_**'Your parents.'**_

Lukas's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening before he could replace his mask.

"...they're dead." He murmured thickly. Matthias nodded understanding, slipping an arm over the shorter's shoulders.

"...hit by a pickup. Riding their bikes." He whispered slowly. Lukas gulped before continuing. "I wasn't with them, but Emil was. He wound up in the bushes... Scuffed up some but he was alright. They were...gone...before I got there... I heard it. I heard it from the yard and..." He stopped, unsure of what he was trying to say.

Matthias nodded again before drawing Lukas into his arms and slowly running his hands on his back. Lukas allowed the first and only tears he'd shed for his parents fall before returning the embrace.

...

The next morning, they went on as if nothing had happened. That Lukas hadn't shattered in those few minutes, surrendering his cold and calm demeanor in exchange for the bit of healing that came from their understanding. He'd trusted Matthias, enough to let it go. Matthias didn't hold it over his head either. This peace lasted through the week, lives running seamlessly until the last Saturday of July.

...

Matthias frantically shook Lukas awake before the sunlight had made it all the way through the window.

"What!" He snapped, trying to keep Emil asleep and more than slightly pissed. Matthias thrust his notebook at Lukas before darting away to rummage through Emil's drawers.

_**'Go downtown today. Take Emil to the pool or something. Stay out of shadows and near other people as much as you can. I'll get you when it's safe.'**_

"Safe?! What's wrong!" Lukas demanded at the Dane, who'd moved back to the bed to rouse Emil while dressing the semiconscious toddler.

Matthias merely wrote_** '85s'**_. That was all it took to shock Lukas into action.

_85s_

That meant others. And from Matthias's reactions, that wasn't a good thing.

He dressed quickly and snatched Emil up, tripping over his own feet trying to move. Matthias's head whipped around and he froze for a few moments before madly scribbling a note, which he held to Lukas akin with his wallet.

_**'Skip the pool. Stay out of the South and the East sides. I'll come get you tonight. Stay out of the dark and stay in the crowds.'**_

"Okay but-"

Matthias shook his head and began pulling him out of the room, snatched up the car keys and guided them out the door. Matthias continued looking around frantically as they made it down the drive to the car.

Matthias took Emil from Lukas's grasp and buckled the sleepy child into the seat while Lukas climbed into the driver's and started the car. Matthias shut their doors and have Lukas a nod as he pulled away. From the rear view mirror Lukas could see the shade standing in the road, watching them drive away.

"Mah-fi?" Emil whimpered, blinking and rubbing his eyes.

"Back there." Lukas droned.

Emil turned and waved at the apparition, who to Lukas's bittersweet surprise returned the gesture. Matthias shrank to a spec in the mirror before vanishing- _teleporting?_ - from his view.

...

_What to do? Where to go?_

Emil had drifted back to sleep as Lukas drove around the streets for a solid two hours, refilled his tank and drove another two, feeling the dread eat away at his stomach. What about Matthias? And what was so bad about other slenders? They'd be like Matthias- they were people before right? So what could be so bad that Matthias forced him- _forced them_-away?

A place with people. Out of the South and East. In the light.

It was the end of July and Lukas was pale. Emil was albino. Lukas hadn't remembered to grab the vital bottle of sunblock Emil needed to be outside. Emil wouldn't stand a chance outside without it. Lukas reached back and made sure the blanket covered as much of Emil's delicate skin as possible while cursing his own stupidity. Emil'd be hungry when he woke up too.

...the mall opened in a few minutes. There'd be people. And food. And that little shop with the sunblock Emil needed. _To the damn mall it is._

...

After buying the sunblock for Emil and taking a trip to the restrooms to relieve themselves, Lukas took the opportunity to slather his brother in the lotion as they made their way to the near lifeless food court.

"Pick wherever you'd like Emil."

The donut holes were surprisingly satisfying to quell their hunger. Lukas sipped a cup of coffee while Emil annihilated the poor glazed spheres. America runs on Dunkin. Apparently, so could Emil. The boy hopped up from his seat and pulled at Lukas's sleeve with sticky fingers.

"What are we doing?"

"...having fun." Lukas decided.

"Without Mah-fi?" Emil's lip began to quiver at the very notion of them having fun without Matthias present in their lives.

"He's...busy. Look- we'll see him later-" Lukas wasn't even sure he was telling the truth "-he said he'd come get us tonight." Best to stick the truth, Emil would throw a fit otherwise.

"Oh. Okay." Emil murmured dejectedly.

"We can have fun. We'll go wherever you want- as long as we stay inside the building- okay?"

"Okay." Emil nodded.

Lukas bit his tongue in annoyance as he felt the flare of jealousy. He was no longer Emil's only person.

"We go shopping?"

"Sure, maybe a little bit." It'd look strange, a teenager with a small child, both male, shopping, but not too terribly out of place. Lukas thought back to the ungodly amount of money in his wallet and on the bank card from Anders. He sighed. A little couldn't hurt.

Emil cheered. To him, this meant toys.

"We go now?"

Lukas nodded and the brothers clasped hands, Emil leading the way.

They passed the first few windows without incident, then Emil ran at a door screaming "FENGA PAW-PETS!"

"You can have one set." Lukas told the enthusiastic toddler who had brought him no less than ten boxes.

"But... I love them!"

"One."

Emil agonized over his decision for over an hour, unable to pick between the last few boxes.

"... Big brother?"

They left the shop with four boxes.

...

Towards the end of the afternoon, they'd hit ever acceptable store in the entire complex. He'd found some magnets he planned to use to test Matthias's manipulation of electromagnetic fields. Emil'd managed to talk his way into another fleet of toys for himself.

"Where to now?" He murmured aloud, growing more and more frustrated in Matthias's absence.

"Build-a-bear." Emil answered, tugging a muttering Lukas along.

The bear had light brown fur and Emil had managed to find a miniature battle axe of all things in the little props section for it. He stuffed the bear with fluff and the little heart like the other children but had adamantly refused to name it. Lukas made Emil carry the little cardboard house with the bear, growing more exasperated by the second. The sun had sunk, the mall was closing and still no sign of Matthias.

He stalked off to the parking garage with Emil on his heels. They neared the car when a movement caught his eye. He turned to see a slender standing in the shadow of a structure beam.

"Matthias!" He snapped, relief and annoyance flooding him at once.

His blood ran cold when the slender shook It's head.

...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8-

Early AN: This may be the last update for a week if I don't crank out nine before crack of dawn Monday. Explanations and the insane amount of notes at the bottom, I apologize in advance. I suppose this is better than leaving with the cliffy for over a week. I'm not that cruel.

…

Emil latched onto his leg, but Lukas was too frozen to feel it. They were stuck. Lukas had quickly learned that he could not outrun Matthias, even without the teleporting. There was no one around, most had left hours ago or parked outside.

A movement to their right startled Lukas. A second shade. It plowed into the first, both vanishing on contact. The brothers looked around, trying to understand or see when the next came. Only one returned, arms open to them. The two had had a few distinguishable features to tell them apart. Neither were Matthias. Lukas decided that the specter before them was the second.

Emil broke the silence. "His name is Berwald and he says he's friends with Matthias."

_Of course he'd say that._

Lukas remained still, 'Berwald' approaching swiftly.

"He says for us to get in the car and to drive back home, Lukie."

The shade gestured to the car.

Lukas had no choice but to follow, loading the bags into the trunk and buckling Emil in with shaking hands while _It_ watched.

...

Lukas had never given it much thought, but shades must have been able to project something- an aura if that made sense. Matthias felt safe, naturally exuberant. Giddy and warm. Berwald made him nervous. He took the driver's side and turned on the car, flinching when the shade got into the passenger's.

Sure that his arms would snap with the force, Lukas forced himself to drive in silence. Berwald seemed to be staring down at Lukas, which didn't help him at all. If that wasn't enough, the radio started freaking out.

A voice can on _"Don't worry, 'bout a thing. Because every little thing, is gonna be alright."_ and then cut off. He'd seen some of what Matthias could do to the electricity and the time Matthias started flipping channels on the TV from the kitchen just to prove he could. Berwald was trying to communicate?

Again- _"Just sit back and relax. Sit back and relax. Sit back and rela-"_ and then shut off.

"You're doing that."

The shade simply nodded.

"Dammit." He muttered. "Where's Matthias then?"

"_Home! Home! This house is-"_

"Why didn't he get us instead of you?"

_"We don't fight fair-"_

"What happened?! Why'd we go in the first place?"

"_'risin' up to the challenge of our rivals."_

"You're annoying."

_"I'm really just asking to leave."_

Lukas groaned. "Okay then. Shut the damn radio off and let me drive."

The shade obliged.

As they neared the house, Lukas began acknowledging the creeping nervousness.

He jumped out the minute he parked and freed the drowsy Emil before breaking into a sprint. Albeit, a stupid concept, outrunning Berwald, (who wasn't chasing them) but he tried anyways. He nearly screamed when another specter came into view and caught him before he could turn. His knees began to give in the shades arms. Matthias. It was Matthias. He accepted the slender's hold, still breathing heavy and holding the now very awake Emil. A very awake Emil proved dangerous, as he screeched and threw himself at Matthias, finding a way to swing from the shade's neck.

"Mah-fi!"

The group made it into the house, stumbling some in their refusal to let go. Matthias pulled them down onto the couch, Emil balanced on their laps.

Lukas flinched when Berwald came through the door, holding their bags. The shade set then on the floor, dipped his head and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Wh-wh-" Lukas tried. Hating the tremor in his voice, he swallowed before asking "What happened? And you didn't come get us. Why didn't you find us-" the anger that had built up over the day returned "-You scared the hell out of me! And who is Berwald? Your 'friend'! He's creepy as hell! And there was another one and- You better start explaining or I swear I'll-!"

Matthias tipped his head to the quivering toddler. _Dammit_. Lukas began coddling the younger.

"Lukie, yelling! Lukie! No yelling!" He wailed at his brother.

"Shhhh... I know, I know. I'm sorry Emil. No more yelling."

At least until Emil fell asleep.

Matthias gestured at Emil again, Lukas took it as 'not in front of Emil.'

"Later?" Lukas growled through his teeth.

Matthias nodded once.

Lukas pulled away from them then, sorting through the bags and putting things away. Emil pulled Matthias along to the little cardboard house and removed the bear.

"He foh you! Mah-fi! You gotta name 'im!" Emil instructed while holding the bear for the shade to take.

Lukas watched the slender freeze before slowly taking the axe wielding bear from Emil, looking over it with awe and then sweeping the child up.

"I'm glad you like him." Emil giggled. They held a small silent conversation, Emil's only audible words being 'that's a cool name'. Matthias pressed his forehead to Emil's and rocked gently. The boy's head began swaying and settled into his shoulder.

"Stay?" Emil cooed.

Matthias met Lukas's eyes and jerked his head to the side at the hall to their room before carrying Emil down the same corridor. Lukas followed, watching as the shade lay Emil in the bed and gently tucked the sheets around him. When he climbed in beside his brother, Matthias began to pull away from Emil, who squealed and clung to his arm.

"Stay Mah-fi!"

Matthias caught the glare burning holes in him from the other side of the bed as he tried to disentangle himself from the boy. Lukas sighed rolled over, grabbing Emil's feet and dragged the boy to the middle of the bed to leave Matthias room. Emil grabbed a fistful of his brother's shirt, ensuring that he would stay and putting his hand on Matthias's chest for the same assurance. Once content, Emil sailed across the line between awareness and sleep, leaving Lukas in close proximity to the one person he couldn't decide if he wanted to punch or cling to.

Lukas cursed internally. He'd softened. Depended on and trusted Matthias. He hadn't bothered to depend on his parents to mind Emil. He let stupid Matthias close. No different than any other stupid person (once you got past the being turned into a slender thing) and yet Lukas felt exposed.

Slowly, the exhaustion from the day weighing on him, he let his eyes close. Lukas was near sleep when he felt an arm sling over him. He relaxed under the surprisingly comforting contact, his frustration dissipating. Maybe caring was an advantage. He moved closer, maneuvering Emil on top of him and laid his head on Matthias's shoulder. The shade shifted closer, drawing his arms over them.

_**.. I'm sorry**_

_I know._

...

They spent the next morning biding their time, wearing Emil down in the hopes that he would sleep sooner, without much success. Matthias was jumpier, though when Lukas asked he swore there wasn't any danger. The shades were outside of the 'territorial lines', whatever that was supposed to mean. Finally, Emil crashed and they tucked the boy in bed before sneaking back to the playroom so Matthias could use the board. Matthias had beat him to the room and stood at the board with the same to words.

_**Trust me?**_

Lukas closed his eyes and took a slow breath.

"Yes."

He was almost knocked on his ass by Matthias, who now held him in a bear hug and had shoved Lukas's face into his shoulder, blocking his sight.

"What are you-"

Wind whipped his bangs and his limbs were tugged behind him from the force. Lukas struggled to fill his lungs and instead buried his head in unfamiliar fabric.

The air finally stopped. They'd stopped moving. The grip on him slackened when he realized he'd somehow (without his permission) wrapped his legs around the shade's and his arms around Matthias's neck. He opened his eyes only to meet sky blue. Lukas immediately pushed away when Matthias let him go. He staggered some before his legs gave and Matthias hauled him to his feet.

"Easy. Easy." He murmured, edging away when Lukas threw a punch that grazed his cheek.

Lukas used Matthias arm as a support to steady himself, considering actually hitting the male. They were back in the gray plains with a few burnt sticks in the ground. He observed the dreary landscapes before turning to Matthias. He paused to note the color of his eyes and the odd cowlicks in his hair that caused it to defy gravity. He definitely looked and felt human.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. Why? Other than the whole dragging me out here without warning me." Lukas snapped.

"You said you trusted me." Matthias pointed out. "And cuz you keep staring at me. You feeling alright? I wasn't sure how you'd handle the teleporting again. We don't do many live transports-" he gave an awkward laugh at his own joke. "... Soooo... Shall we go inside? Out in the open isn't the best place to converse."

"Inside? Where? There's nothing-"

Lukas was yanked by the arm behind an outcropping of rocks when Matthias dropped to the ground. A handle was uncovered, and pulling it up revealed a door to an underground staircase that lead into the dark.

...

...What the hell did I just do? I apologize for any OOCness. I'm trying.

Songs in order of usage: ( It should be noted that this story takes place 2007. All of these songs were released by this point. Why? Because I need a 5-6 year buffer for the sequel. It'll make sense eventually.)

Three Little Birds- Bob Marley 2) Camisado- Panic at the Disco 3) Home- Three Days Grace 4) Take Over, The Breaks Over- Fallout Boy 5) Eye of the Tiger- Survivor 6) Sharpest Lives- My Chemical Romance

So. Slendermen. And these would be the infamous bunch of notes and references I've mentioned.

• Emil can understand and saw Matthias first. Why?

Well my dear internal question asker: my theory is it has to do with kids being more sensitive to the paranormal *watches too many ghost shows* . And there's nothing like matured logic and reasoning getting in the way. Emil wanted to find something where there was supposed to be nothing. He found something. If that makes sense.

So according to various sources of "research":

•Slenders are theorize to have 4-8 tentacles that it can contract at will. (We've seen this already.)

• Slenders will find interest in a 'victim' for reasons unknown. (Ooooooh)

•A slender would then contact 'the victim'. If a child, it would present itself in a friendly manner. (Check)

•The adults It stalks share a common trait: they have all been through a terrible tragedy in their life; the tragedy could even be caused by the slender. (Sorta check. Matthias didn't cause the crash.)

•If an adult, It would stalk 'the victim' and cause "Slender Sickness". Induction of 'massive paranoia, nose bleeds, nightmares and hallucinations as well as other symptoms.' (Huh. I wonder what was wrong with Lukas.)

• So they 'attack': originally there was the whole impale targets on trees as well as removing internal organs, placing them in bags and placing them back in the body and very aggressive, mainly attacking children. ("But wait, I thought Matthias and Co. were good slenders" Because Matthias and Berwald aren't the only ones. Not by a long shot.)

• "It seems to enjoy targeting humans who have seen It in childhood and following them for years." (WTF?!)

•Torments people by causing unease by invading their 'safety zones' - showing up in their homes when they're alone. Just... Following and being creepy. (Sorta check. Plays more into series later)

•"The impaling...behaviors...have been long forgotten." (Learn more later- hinted at next chapter.)

•"The target" is taken away with no traces whatsoever. "The target" will never be found, nor will any traces.

•"The victim" will typically disappear by themselves, thus attacks are unrecorded. To date it is unknown where "the victims" go, or what happens to them afterwards.

(Well. Shit Lukas.)

(BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)

I got most of this off of wikinet and creepypastas

In other news that you probably don't care about. I have this friend who I've known for +4 years and we kinda had some disagreements this year while I was sicker. We reconciled on just about all accounts except for his contempt on me being a 'fan fiction writing psycho' or 'stupid fangirl'. Until Wednesday, we had already taken the final for that class and he sat and read parts of "In Truth", "Simple" and "Codes". He no longer dislikes fanfiction. And is asking for Sherlock ones. So those'll show up eventually.

As for my absence, I have been begged and guilt tripped into going 3,000 feet higher in elevation and camping until Saturday for the sole purpose of teaching CPR to bratty middle schoolers (I'm sure you know the type I'm talking about…and why am I the only one who bothers to cert. for this stuff? It's important!). I've been having more issues so if I wind up posting between Monday and Saturday, that means I had an asthma attack on the damn mountain and I came home. Good for you, bad for me. But my absence without technology is not all bad. I will be surrounded by trees and forresty area and places I can hide. Perfect for writing about/looking for Slenders.

Thank you so much for the support. It keeps me motivated and feeling better than I have been.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

AN: *whistles* _She'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes._  
I don't know why I'm warning at the top of the page given that the entire premise was minor character death, but mentions of minor character death and there'll be character death later in the story so it should come as no surprise when people die. Because that's what people DO!  
And I want to say trigger warning but then it sounds like I'm making a terrible pun about not funny things. Mentions of suicide attempt. When I get the prequel out or I reach that chapter (somewhere in the 20s) you'll get the why.  
Oh. And also, kissy faces. Which shouldn't bother anyone seeing as one of the genres is romance. Also, if I had a third to put it'd be angst. But forewarning I guess. You clicked it. Carry on.

Lukas warily followed and eventually passed Matthias as he pulled the door down. Closing the door robbed Lukas of what little light he had.  
"Come on!" Matthias called, leaping off the stairs, his stomps indicating that he was moving farther down the stairwell and thus leaving Lukas to fall and break his neck.

"Oh!" Matthias shouted and ran back up the steps and gripped Lukas's forearm. "You can't see now, can you?"

Lukas grumbled and allowed himself to be carried.

"Sorry. I'll ask 'Waldy if we can get a light for the stairs. I don't need as much light to see. It's kinda weird, but the only noticeable trait that's carried over."

Matthias reached flat ground and set Lukas to his feet before moving away. Lukas waved his arms and turned, looking for the Dane. His hand brushed a cord. Pulling on it, the little incandescent bulbs strung on the ceiling flickered to life.

"Home, sweet home." Matthias shrugged from the futon. Lukas glared down at him. The Dane kept his shit eating grin and pulled Lukas with him onto the futon. Lukas yelped and scrambled away onto the cushion and off of Matthias. The male pouted for a second before the grin came back.

"I'll take ya back when Emil wakes up, but that won't be for a couple a hours. So ask away."

Lukas shot him a look of disbelief before asking "'Waldy?"

"Yeah. Berwald. Guy from last night. He's-er, he's my friend I guess you could say."

"Your shade friend." Lukas deadpanned.

Matthias sighed. "Yeah. Not to start with. Before this he was Berwald, Lord of Carpentry Design with Kohler Industries." He sounded patronizing then. "Things were god. I'd bug the hell out of him whenever I could instead of paying attention on how to run corporate crap in the offices. He didn't like me too much. But hey, I was the big boss man's son, so poor 'Waldy had to put up with me." Matthias gave a hollow laugh. "... After... We decided to build this place. At first we tried a basic house above ground, we even planted some stupid trees. Make it feel like home, ya know? You've seen what's left of it." He shrugged. "So we moved underground. Not as fancy, but it's still pretty good."

_..the burnt sticks outside... They were..._

"What is this place then?"

"No clue. Alternate dimension. Mystical realm. Wormhole. We got nothin'."

"Why do you stay here? You go back and forth. Why?

"We can be human here. It's-just... Better, I guess. We can shift and at least look and feel human. And we go back because we miss it. We follow our families. It's mostly pointless- we can't really interfere but it makes us feel better."

"You and Berwald?"

"Yeah, here it's just us. He's not much of a talker, but not a bad roomie. Other people- normal people, like you and Emil can survive out here too as long as there's food and stuff... In theory."

"In theory?"

"... It's not always safe." Matthias bit at his lips.

Lukas hummed in understanding. They sat in silence reeling in their thoughts.

" How close were you... With your parents?" Matthias asked.

"Not very... Work and shit." It hadn't bothered Lukas when they were around.

"Just you and Emil then. I wasn't that close to my folks either."

Something Anders had said clicked.

"... You ran away." Lukas realized.

Matthias had been watching him carefully. At the accusation Matthias snorted. "I wasn't running away."  
"But you left, right?"  
"I meant to come back."  
"Why did you leave?"  
Matthias groaned.  
"Yes. I left after an argument over school. Hopped on my bike and went to my friend Abel's houseboat. Cooled off and decided to head back and call my mom so I could go to her house. Just cut the visit short and save the headache." His voice went quiet and lost the anger. "I didn't make it back."  
"Abel still lives in his houseboat at the docks." Matthias mused with a half-smile "I was riding back when I passed the warehouses." Lukas felt him shudder. "I don't even- I can't remember how I got dragged inside. It just...hurt." His voice grew softer. "It hurt so badly, and they wouldn't stop. Just kept me strapped to the table. When I finally came out of it, I couldn't move. And they just watched me and scribbled on their clipboards... They were calling me 84-A. I was stuck in that warehouse for a few months before the er- head guy? He acted like he was in charge- went outside after noticing something. I snuck up to the window. _**He**_ had been standing on the water's edge with a gun to his head and I could see his mouth moving. The er- 'professor'- went out and started talking to Berwald. I didn't really know much about him then. He was just there to annoy at work. I couldn't talk to him at the moment either. To tell him that whatever was happening, the gun would be better than going into the warehouse. That whatever the 'professor' saying was shit and that he should've been running away... Someone bashed him over the head with a crowbar and dragged him in. They locked me in a crate before strapping him onto the damn table. I couldn't see him. I heard plenty..." They were both paling by the second, Matthias's shuddering worsening on every word. "Berwald was 84-B. We were the first."  
"The other-slendermen-" Lukas hesitated on the word. "You mentioned. The one from last night."  
Matthias grimaced. "We think that that was Toni. It gets harder to tell with the 85s." He continued with a whisper. "We don't know why or how they changed us into, well, this. But they weren't happy with the results... They brought more people in... Several were changed, like they did to us. They did something different with them though. Some died." His voice had hollowed out again. "They were different. They liked this..." Matthias spread his arms to explain. _"This..."_ He repeated in disbelief. "They got used to he while freaky morphing shit faster. One day they all just snapped." He paused. "We were all losing it in there but- the 85s follow a guy named Ivan. They all broke out of the crates and tore the place apart, including the people. Went after Berwald and I. We scattered. Don't laugh, but I headed to my mom's... Not my brightest idea."  
"What happened then?"  
Matthias scowled and spoke through his teeth. "A fucking monster shows up, stuck in the shadows and keeps following you. Moves things around the house, makes noises. I tried talking to her, but she just- I left after she went to the doctors. My presence was making her ill too, I had to leave. I literally drove my mother crazy. She was better without me around. I started wandering when I got into a scuffle with an 85. I kept heading through the woods when I saw what they were doing... 85s aren't people... I won't let them near either of you, I promise." Matthias choked.  
"What..."  
Matthias wrapped an arm around Lukas and hid his face with his hands in misery.  
"People don't do that." Matthias mumbled behind his hands and shook his head.  
"I still don't know-"  
"Antonio. Toni. The one from last night. I know there've been others but there were the Vargas brothers. A kid named Lovino, his brothers Feliciano and Marcello. 14, 12 and 8. They're all dead now. Do you understand! He killed a bunch of kids! They hurt people and Berwald and I can't figure it out." Matthias shook his head slowly, mortified. "When I found a group- some of them were still moving- still alive. It was just..."  
Matthias stood up and grasped Lukas's shoulders and herded him through a blanket covered doorway that Lukas hadn't seen. The room was sparse. A large bed, a dresser guarded by _Dan the Destroyer_ and another shrouded doorway.  
"Berwald'll be back soon and I don't wanna bug him." And he quickly hauled Lukas onto the bed before curling up beside him, still trembling.  
"I'm sorry. They won't come near you. I fucked up last night." He berated himself. "They shouldn't be able to get within a good fifty miles of the city after this. Berwald and I managed to push them back pretty far."  
"That's good...right?" Lukas hoped that was good.  
"For us and the people in town, yes."  
Matthias turned and flopped out on the bed with an arm over his eyes.  
"It can't be your fault for this. Too far outside of your control. Worry about yourself."  
Lukas absentmindedly ran his fingers through the Dane's hair. The air buzzed oddly in the silence. Lukas tried to put names to the emotions Matthias was unintentionally sharing. Lukas sat against the headboard thinking with Matthias strewn across the bed, a leg haphazardly dangling off the edge and swinging, his head turned away and his face hidden.  
He readjusted suddenly, lying diagonally with his head against Lukas's knee, who couldn't bring himself to voice the fact. Instead, Lukas sat still. Even in the house, Matthias kept the notebook in hand to write to Lukas and "talking" with Emil. The lack of communication was unnatural, though the prior revelations made the silence reasonable, it did not mean that the silence was easily tolerable.  
Lukas inhaled sharply when the Dane's eyes flicked open to reveal light blue. Lukas hadn't noticed that the buzzing atmosphere had died down to the feeling of resolution. Matthias sat up and turned, moving until he faced Lukas, his legs against the headboard.  
"Lukas?"  
"Yeah?" Lukas was relieved. Normal Matthias was back.  
"...it's nothing. Never mind." Matthias murmured, resting his elbows on his knees and putting his head in his hands. The atmosphere was buzzing again. Lukas felt a pang. The blasted man was confusing him and he hated it. He was glaring down at his socks when Matthias called again.  
"Lukas?"  
Matthias griped Lukas's arm a bit below the shoulder and leaned close. Looking up, Lukas could hear his pulse rush in his ears. Four beats. Matthias pressed his lips against Lukas's. His other hand touched Lukas's cheek. Another three beats and Lukas reacted. His eyes fluttered closed after widening in initial shock and he carefully returned the kiss.  
They parted after a few moments, both slightly put of breath. Lukas ducked his head and let his hands fall away from Matthias, refusing to meet his eyes. Matthias's hands found Lukas's, and squeezed gently. One brushed his face. Hesitantly, Lukas met Matthias's gaze. With a teasing smile from the older and a damnable blush from the younger, they brushed lips again.  
"Is this okay?" Matthias asked gravely as they pulled away. Lukas didn't answer, instead he chose to move closer to the Dane and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face into his neck.  
"Is this okay?" Matthias begged with earnest, worry creeping into his voice. From within the heart palpitations and uneven breathing, his head spinning and skin burning, Lukas managed to nod and reassure Matthias.  
"Yes, this is okay."

I did not mean for this to come out that angsty. Oh well. And yay! Face battling!

Character list so we're on track:  
•Mama Bondevick- dead  
•Papa Steill *cough* major asshole *cough* - dead  
•Lovino (S. Italy) Feliciano (N. Italy) Marcello (Seborga) Vargas- dead  
•Abel (Netherlands)- alive and kicking.  
Dan the Destroyer- the build-a-bear from Emil.  
Known 85s  
•Ivan (oh the archetypal villain for this fandom, I'm sorry for abusing you)  
•Antonio

84s  
Berwald and Matthias

I have returned and I missed all of you even though I don't know you in person. I was stuck with _them_ all week. And I had to be nice and not sarcastic! And then I had to be outside with the windstorms. Three freaking episodes. And then the nasty food made me sick. I am glad I have indoor plumbing again. And now I have glue on my hands in another desperate attempt at getting splinters out of my hand. Point is, I missed you guys.

Now, I must give credit where credit is due. I borrowed some elements of 'experiment 84- B' from creepypasta for Berwald. Although other than the name and the attempting there's nothing in common. Their reasons/thoughts and actions are very different. So if you're looking for spoilers, it won't help you.

I'm considering posting the first chapter of the prequel in a few days, but that would mean I couldn't update it till the 20-somethingeth chapter for spoilers. Thoughts on that?  
You have words for me now, da? You will give me these words and any advice in some sort of message, da?  
Please? I'm so alone...


End file.
